War focus fuelling anti-German feeling

Thank you, Simon Jenkins (Germany, I'm sorry. This is the British at their worst, 31 January) for expressing what no German dares to say, lest we are branded war-deniers or humourless. The British obsession with war not only fills bookstands and the school curriculum, but results in open, unchallenged racism. As a German teacher I am invariably greeted with "Hitler!" or "Nazi!", because that's the only thing young British people learn about Germany. My son who is half Indian/half German has only ever suffered racist remarks because of his German origin. In more than 30 years living in Britain I have not once been asked about Germany's recent past as a divided country (of which I could tell from own experience), but countless times about my experiences and opinions of the Nazi regime of over 70 years ago. Britain, which takes pride in its credos of diversity, tolerance and anti-racism, still has a long way to go to fight its anti-German prejudice and this sanctimonious, self-congratulatory, war-worshipping festival is not helping.Christine FuchsChigwell, Essex

• I am German and have been living in Britain for half of my life, so on realising which year we are in, I began to shiver in my boots. In my experience there's no particular reason needed to do a bit of German-bashing. It comes in various guises: as "surprise" about the existence of good Germans; during the World Cup hosted in Germany; or camouflaged as a pseudo-psychological treatise on German art in a series on British TV. But quite apart from my own sensitivities, this kind of behaviour is enormously damaging, as it perpetuates blaming someone out there as the devil. It's a blow to all our attempts to grow up and realise that people are just people who, under certain circumstances, will do the most unbelievable things to save their bacon – be they Germans or Brits or whatever. Carola SplettstoesserForres, Moray